Traverse-and-feed-valve assembly



Marh 23, 1954 R. E. cRbss 2,672,884

TRAVERSE-AND-FEED-VALVE ASSEMBLY Filed Aug. 15, 1950 i F E- d '1! n I v INVENTOR. F4Zp& ETC/ass.

Patented Mar. 23, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT FFI(IEY I 2,672,884 TRAVERSE-AND-FEED-VALVE ASSEMBLY Ralph E. Cross, Grosse Pointe-Shores, Mich. Application August 15, 1950, Serial No.17ae4 This invention relates to a mechanism for actuating hydraulic valves.

There are many types of automatic machine tools having a saddle slidably mounted on a suitable base and actuated by a fluid motor connected to the saddle. A hydraulic circuit is provided which includes the fluid motor and a valve for directing hydraulic liquid to the motor. Also, an electrical circuit is provided which includes at least two solenoids for operating the valve and the usual limit switches actuated by moving parts of the machine for energizing and de-energizing the solenoids.

Heretofore, it has been conventional practice to mount the solenoids with the valve which they operate so that they, in'efiect, form a single unit. This arrangement has several disadvantages. Perhaps the most important.disadvantageis that the' solenoids and the fvalve are mechanically correlated and connected in such .a way that neither the lvalve nor the. solenoids can be removed-independently of'the otherfor repair, replacement, or substitution. of parts. The impracticability of this situationis at once apparent, as it is necessary to uncoupleall hydraulic tem must be'filled again .when' the valve-solenoid unit is replaced; One solenoid, for example, cannot be removed for repair without] also disrupting the entire hydraulic circuit. Alternatively, if it is necessary to repair or replace some part in the hydraulic valve, it is necessary to disconnect all of the Wiring leading to the solenoids. As a consequence, considerable unnecessary labor is required to make the change, and this means that labor costs are excessive for the work involved. Further, the'machine is rendered inoperative longer. than would otherwise be necessary, and valuableproduction time is lost. 'Another disadvantage of the conventional arrangement is that any hydraulic liquid leaking from the valve has direct accesstoand frenovel means for mechanically interconnecting the two which obviates'the difliculties outlined above. For purpose oi illustration the invention SQ Ej 1e99PPe 1e-;e; a ns 3; 9 th 9 "Claims. (Cl. 137-620) type hereinabove' described. Itwill be apparent, however, that, in its broader aspects, the invention is not limited to the particular setting in which it is shown. In actual practice, the invention can be used in any capacity where apparatus of this type has utility.

In the drawing forming a part'of this specification, and wherein like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view showing the saddle of a machine tool slidably mounted on a base and illustrating the manner in which the hydraulic valve is attached to the base;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal, horizontal sectional View taken on the ,line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged, longitudinal, vertical sectional view taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged, longitudinal, vertical sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged, longitudinal, vertical sectional view taken on the line 55 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary, longitudinahhorizontal sectional view showing a modified plunge construction for operating the valve. 4

In the drawing, wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown the preferred embodiment of the invention, the numeral [0 designates the base of a machine tool having the usual ways [2 and a saddle M slidably mounted on theways. In the apparatus shown, the base I0 is formed centrally thereof and below the saddle [4 with a cylinder l6 which receives a fluid motor l8. The latter includes the usual cylinder 20, piston 22, and pistonrod 24. 'The outer end of cylinder 20 is closed by a cap 26 and the inner end thereof is closed by a cylinder head 28. The piston rod 24 extends from the cylinder 20 through the cylinder head 28, and the extending end thereof is mechanically connected to a lug (not shown) attached to and depending from the slide M. The fluid motor construction and mounting arrangement here shown is illustrated and described in detail in my copending application Serial No. 170,508, filed June 27, 1950, now PatentNo. 2,584,428. 3

Hydraulic liquid is delivered to the cylinder 20 behind piston 22 through a passage 30 in'the cap 26, and hydraulic liquid is delivered to the cylinder ahead of the piston through a passage 32 in a connector 34 fastened on the side of the base [0 and interengaging with the cylinder head 28 as shown in Fig. 2. Hydraulic liquid is directed to the passages 30 and'32 through amanifold '38 and the direction of flow of the liquid is controlled by a conventional hydraulic valve 40. Solenoids the spool as shown in Fig. 6.

by using aspring-pressed detent 60 as shown "be readily apparent in this connection that different sized plungers can beused whether the mechanism is vertical or not, since the relative porting said spool and provided with a side opening in register with the spool, a rotatable shaft carried by said base extending into the casing through said side opening and arranged athwart said spool, rack-and-pinion means interconnecting said shaft and said spool, said rack-andpinion means being readily disengageable and said [shaft being retractable through the side 1 opening in the casing when the latter is detached from said'base, a pair of plungers slidable in said base and disposed on opposite sides of saidshaft, rack-and-pinion means interconnect- -ing each. of said plungers and said shaft, one plunger adapted 'to rotate the shaft in one direction to selectively position said spool and the other plunger adapted to rotate'the shaft in the opposite dire'ction'to position the spool in a different selected position, and a pair of separately demountable solenoidsin said base remote from said valve and each positioned to actuate a respective one of said plungers.

2. In combination, a base, a selectively positionable, slidable member on said base, a mounting carrying said slidable member detachably fastened to the base and removable therefrom in a direction transverse to the length of said slidable member, a rotatable shaft carried by said base and arranged athwart said member, rackand-pinion means interconnecting said shaft and said member and being automatically disengageable whenlthe mounting is removed from the base, a pair of plungers slidable in said base and disposed on opposite sides of said shaft, rackand-pinion means interconnecting each of said plungers and said shaft, one plunger adapted to rotate the shaft in one direction to selectively position said member and the other plunger adapted to rotate the shaft in the opposite direction to position said member in a different selected position, and a pair of separately demountable solenoids in said base each positioned to actuate a respective one of said plungers.

3. In combination, a base, a valve on said base having a slidable spool and a casing detachably fastened to the base supporting said spool and provided with a side opening in register with the spool, a rotatable shaft carried by said base extending into the casing through said side opening arranged athwart and detachably drivingly connected to said spool, said shaft being detachable from said spool and retractable through the side opening in the casing when the latter is detached from the base, a, pair of plungers slidable in said base and each drivingly connected to said shaft on opposite sides thereof, one plunger adapted to rotate the shaft in one direction to selectively position said spool and the other plunger adapted to rotate the shaft in the opposite direction to position the spool in a different selected position, and a pair of separately demountable solenoids in said base remote and separate from the fluid in the valve and each positioned to actuate a respective one ,ofgsaid plungers. I i 4. In combination, a base, a selectively positionable, slidable member, support means detachably fastened to the base carrying said member and provided with a side openingin register with said member, a rotatable shaft carried by said base extending into the casing through said side opening arranged athwart and detachably drivingly connected to said member, said shaft adapted to disengage said member and being readily retractable through the side opening in the casing when the latter is detached from said i base, a pair of plungers slidable in said base drivingly connected to said shaft on opposite sides thereof, one plunger adapted to rotate the shaft in one direction to selectively position said member and the other plunger adapted to rotate the shaft in the opposite direction to position the member in a different seleotedposition, and a pair of separately demountable solenoids in said base each positioned to actuate a respective one of said plungers.

5. In combination, a base, a valve having a valve casing detachably fastened to the base and provided with a side opening therein, said valve also having a valve spool slidable in said casing and disposed adjacent to said side opening in all sliding positions thereof, a shaft journaled in said base with an end thereof extending into; said casing through said side opening and athwart said spool, means detachably drivingly connecting said shaft and said spool so that rotational movement of the shaft about its axis moves said spool back and forth in-said casing,- said driving means being readily detachable from the spool and said shaft being readily retractable through the sideopening in the casing when the latter is detached from the base, a pair of separately mounted plungers on opposite sides of said shaft and drivingly connected therewith, and a pair of separately demountable solenoids each positioned to actuate the respective one of said plungers.

6. In combination, a base, a valve having a valve casing detachably fastened to the base so as to be removable therefrom and a valve spool slidable in said casing, a shaft journaled in said base with an end thereof extending into said casing and athwart said spool and retractable from the casing when the latter is removed from the base, a rack on the spool, a pinion on the shaft and in mesh with said rack, a pair of plungers slidable in said base and disposed on opposite sides of said shaft, rack-and-pinion means interconnecting each of said plungers and said shaft, one plunger adapted to rotate the shaft in one direction to selectively position said spool and the other plunger adapted to rotate the shaft in the opposite direction to position the spool in a different selected position, and a pair of separately demountable solenoids in said base each positioned to actuate a respective one of said plungers.

7. In combination, a base, a hydraulic valve having a valve casing fastened to the base and a valve spool slidable: in said casing, a rack on said spool, a shaft journaled in said base with an end thereof extending into said casing athwart said spool, a pinion on the shaft in mesh with said rack, a pair of plungers operatively associated with said shaft on opposite sides thereof for rotating the same in opposite directions, a pair of solenoids in said base each in operative associ- 

